Visitors to the University of Nebraska State Museum will soon be able to experience Nebraska and natural history in entirely new ways because of major enhancements to the iconic museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This $11.4 million privately-funded redevelopment project will transform the fourth level of the historic 1920s-era Morrill Hall into state-of-the-art exhibits. Follow along as we take you behind the scenes and onto the floor which has been closed to the public for more than 50 years.

Initial construction nearly complete.

June 21, 2018

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The demolition and construction phases of the 4th floor redevelopment are nearly complete. In addition to the construction crews hammer swinging and painting, museum teams have been working on developing the digital audio-visual interactives and finalizing exhibit text. Visitors can look forward to learning how to throw a Paleoindian atlatl to hunt prey; act as scientist to explore the museum's parasitology specimens, and view a show on the five-foot digital projection globe.

The next phase of the project includes the exhibits build. The Museum with the University of Nebraska have identified Pacific Studio as the project's fabricator. Pacific Studio is a nationally recognized creator of exhibits. They have already begun working with museum curators, collection managers and educators.

Construction has begun!

October 19, 2017

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Pull out the hardhat and orange safety cones; construction for the fourth floor renovation Cherish Nebraska project has begun!

If you have been to the Museum recently, you may have noticed a few additions to the east side of our building – safety construction fencing and a debris shoot. Sampson Construction and their partners have moved in to begin the first phase of construction. During this phase, the remaining non-essential infrastructure of the fourth floor will be removed to accommodate new interactive exhibits, a working science lab and an impressive, 6-foot-diameter digital globe. In addition, the remaining museum floors in Morrill Hall are being updated including ADA, safety, and fire code compliance.

The Museum will remain open for the duration of the renovation project and through all construction phases. All entrances, elevators and galleries are currently open and operating normally. If your plans include use of the East Accessibility Entrance, there may be construction equipment and construction workers in and around that area - this entrance is open and also operating normally.

At various stages of the project, the Museum may need to temporarily close down an exhibit or gallery, but rest assured this is only a short-term suspension and the construction team and museum exhibits staff will work as quickly as possible to finish the work and get the area back open. All updates related to the fourth floor project can be found here. Any short-term exhibit or gallery closings will be posted to the Museum’s website homepage at museum.unl.edu.

Clean-out Update
July 28, 2017

On the move…

Summer clean-up of the fourth floor is now complete as we anticipate the start of construction on the fourth floor of Morrill Hall this fall. Closed to the public for more than 50 years, the fourth level of the historic 1920s-era Morrill Hall will soon be transformed into state-of-the-art exhibits using modern technology comparable to those of the Smithsonian.

What was on this floor? Classrooms, offices, and storage. For the last few decades, the floor was frequented by University of Nebraska-Lincoln students attending classes in geology, geography, and anthropology. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Anthropology faculty, graduate students and Emeriti also had offices and research labs on the fourth floor of Morrill Hall. You can just imagine the shelves and shelves of books and rows of filing cabinets with scholarly research papers. Although off-limits to the public, the fourth floor has been an active research and teaching space for the past two decades.

And, let’s not forget about all the storage! Various rooms and closets were used to store field equipment (nets, waders, picks, tents, boots), photographic equipment, archaeological dig materials, topography maps, teaching collections and teaching equipment –like rocks and mineral specimens, microscopes, and hand lenses. The museum had its educational resource items stored up there (school kits and trunks, Dinosaurs and Disasters program materials) and of course, some exhibit taxidermy - polar bears, mule deer, and peacocks.

What happened to all these people and this ‘stuff’? For starters, the classes that were once held in Morrill Hall will now be located in nearby buildings, closer to the faculty who teach them. For example, geology labs will now be held in Bessey Hall and anthropology courses will relocate back to Oldfather Hall. And all the faculty, Emeriti and graduate students have been provided new office spaces in or near their home-departments.

As for the museum’s educational and exhibit materials, the Museum sorted and made decisions – to keep or not to keep? That is the question. Our taxidermied animals, like the polar bears, have migrated to Nebraska Hall and back into our scientific collections. Educational materials that were not needed have been donated, recycled, or disposed of. Remaining materials found new storage homes throughout the museum. It was a big job.

In addition to the move-out happening on the fourth floor, the Museum’s fourth floor content planning team continues to work closely with Kenneth Hahn Architects and design firm Gallagher and Associates to finalize exhibit design details of the redevelopment plan. Taking the scientific content and translating it into exciting exhibits is no easy feat. We have moved into exhibit design development and are creating construction documents.

When completed, Cherish Nebraska will celebrate Nebraska’s natural heritage – the diversity of life that has been shaped over the millennia by Nebraska’s changing environments. Visitors will journey from Nebraska’s Landscapes through time and space, and learn how our state’s natural heritage – our birds, plants and animals - is shaped by geological changes and human-impacts. They will become engaged in the joy and excitement of scientific discovery as they learn about University of Nebraska research on all UN campuses.

In the upcoming months, we look forward to sharing our progress with you and some ‘behind the scenes” images and video as we renovate the fourth floor.

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Morrill Hall 4th floor renovation architect approved
July 25, 2016

Morrill Hall’s ‘Cherish Nebraska’ fourth floor redevelopment project reaches new milestone with selection of design firm and architect. After being closed to the public for more than 50 years, the fourth level of the historic 1920s-era Morrill Hall will be transformed into state-of-the-art exhibits using modern technology.

On July 22, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the hiring of KHA - Kenneth Hahn Architects of Omaha, Nebraska. KHA intends to partner with the museum planning and design firm Gallagher & Associates of Washington D.C. to design and lead construction of the ‘Cherish Nebraska’ project.

“KHA brings the Nebraskan understanding of Morrill Hall’s iconic nature and its historical importance to the Greater Omaha-Lincoln communities,” said Dr. Susan Weller, University of Nebraska State Museum Director. “KHA will help us stay true to the founding vision of Morrill Hall as a place that serves to educate Nebraskans about the natural world. The internationally recognized firm Gallagher & Associates brings a uniquely collaborative approach – they will work with us to create the compelling stories that help visitors connect and enjoy their museum experience. The two will help us redevelop the fourth floor in a way that will delight future visitors for decades to come.”

Last renovated in 1963, the fourth level has been home to offices, classrooms and laboratory space. This privately-funded $11.4 redevelopment project will add about 10,250 net square footage of new exhibit and educational gallery space with the theme “Cherish Nebraska”. Three main content areas will be showcased:

- Sustainable Earth - the inter-relationships of climate, water, soils and human activities that shape Nebraska’s biological diversity
- Nebraska EcoRegions – a journey through Nebraskan wildlife and landscapes shaped through time and geological history
- Nebraska Science – how scientists use research collections to study biodiversity and our changing world

“This project highlights the importance of donor support and how it can advance the University’s important mission through its cultural institutions,” said Prem S. Paul, vice chancellor for research and economic development. “When completed, Morrill Hall’s 4th floor will serve the next generation of youth and families. The ongoing generosity of our donor community and a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust will enable this dream of revitalizing Morrill Hall.”

Preliminary plans call for design to be completed in a year and construction to begin in 2017. A public opening is planned for 2019.

The museum’s fundraising effort for the Cherish Nebraska fourth floor redevelopment project has reached another important milestone. I am truly pleased to announce that the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board has officially approved the museum’s proposal entitled: “Natural Legacy Exhibits and Virtual Field Trip Outreach for Morrill Hall, Trailside and Ashfall.” Retired Director Priscilla Grew led the submission of this request to the Nebraska Environmental Trust late last summer. I am very grateful for all her efforts.

This funding includes $425,000 for the new “Cherish Nebraska” exhibits – specifically, the “Nebraska Natural Legacy Project (NNLP): Ecoregions and Biodiversity” exhibits. An additional $574,000 will support related educational programming, including installation of new connectivity to link the University of Nebraska State Museum’s branch museums Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park and the Trailside Museum of Natural History to Morrill Hall and to schools via the Network Nebraska-Education telecommunications network.

With this Nebraska Environmental Trust funding, we have great momentum. The entire Cherish Nebraska project has now reached over 80% of its fund-raising goal of $11.4 million. We continue to work with interested individuals and Foundations towards raising $1.87 million needed to complete the project.

University of Nebraska State Museum announces fundraising,
lead gifts for major new ‘Cherish Nebraska’ exhibits
June 15, 2015

Visitors to the University of Nebraska State Museum will soon be able to experience Nebraska and natural history in entirely new ways because of major enhancements in store for the iconic museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The museum announces plans for an $11.4 million privately-funded redevelopment that will add new exhibit space with the theme "Cherish Nebraska." It will showcase the evolution of life and natural systems of the region through exhibits on geology, paleobiology, parasitology, weather and climate, and Nebraska biodiversity and ecosystems past and present, with many of the exhibits including hands-on activities.

After being closed to the public for more than 50 years, the fourth level of the historic 1920s-era Morrill Hall will be transformed into state-of-the-art exhibits using modern technology. Preliminary plans include the installation of innovative and interactive science exhibits that will be on par with other leading museums and expand educational opportunities for visitors of all ages. The redevelopment will provide nearly 20 percent more exhibit space available in Morrill Hall for visitors to explore.

The project will be funded entirely with private donations and represents the largest ever private investment in the museum. The University of Nebraska Foundation has so far received leadership gift commitments of $8.5 million in support of the initiative provided by the Theodore F. and Claire M. Hubbard Family Foundation, the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation and Ruth and Bill Scott.

In addition, Mark and Diann Sorensen of North Platte, longtime museum benefactors and co-chairs of the museum's last fundraising campaign, have established a fund designated for the fourth floor project. The Friends of the University of Nebraska State Museum have also pledged support.

The gift commitment from Ruth and Bill Scott is a $3 million challenge grant for the initiative, which will be awarded once the remaining $2.9 million is donated by other individuals and organizations to help completely fund the project.

"This redevelopment represents the next great renewal of the state museum, and we are tremendously grateful to the museum's generous benefactors for making this project a reality," said Director Priscilla Grew. “This project will transform Morrill Hall into a completely unified museum building and the fourth floor will feature all new exhibits of a standard comparable to those at the Smithsonian.”

Preliminary plans call for construction to begin in 2016 with a public opening planned for 2018.

"The State Museum's research collection of mammal fossils and that of the American Museum of Natural History in New York are ranked as the top two collections in the country," Grew said. "Our parasitology collection ranks second only to the Smithsonian. The new space will allow us to showcase the latest research and highlight amazing animals of Nebraska's fossil past that are not now included in the other floors of Morrill Hall. In the new parasitology gallery, visitors will engage in a simulated lab experience showing how science is conducted in the museum’s research laboratories."

The redevelopment will also include a working paleontology laboratory for UNL researchers with an observation window for visitors.

"Redeveloping and opening the museum's fourth floor is a long-standing priority to enhance the learning experience for our museum visitors," said Prem S. Paul, vice chancellor for research and economic development. "The educational opportunities will help translate research at UNL for Nebraskans and expand their understanding of the state’s resources and natural history."

Like other areas of the museum, the new exhibit space will become a platform for distance learning, using two-way videoconferencing technology to help take the museum into classrooms across the state.

"We are especially excited about partnering with Nebraska's zoos, parks and natural areas with the new indoor-outdoor connections we can make with two-way live video,” Grew said. “This will enhance the Morrill Hall visitor experience and enable us to share our gallery resources with statewide audiences."

As part of the redevelopment plan, an area on the roof of the building will be added to accommodate updated heating and air-conditioning systems and electrical equipment. Restrooms and office support spaces will also be upgraded, and the museum will be equipped with a new fire suppression system throughout the building.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the program statement and plans for the redevelopment at its June 12 meeting.

Since its dedication in 1927, Morrill Hall has served as the home for the University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History. The first, second and third levels of the building have been used for museum exhibits as well as administrative offices and the Mueller Planetarium. Last renovated in 1963, the fourth level has been home to offices, classrooms and laboratory space.

Established in 1871, the University of Nebraska State Museum is the state's premier museum of natural history and has a statewide mission to engage in research, teaching and public outreach. The museum is focused on promoting discovery in natural science, fostering scientific understanding and interpretation of the Earth's past, present and future and enhancing stewardship of the natural and cultural heritage of Nebraska through world class exhibits, collections and special events. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and became a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in 2014. For more information, go to museum.unl.edu.